Marlins Home Runs To Be Touted In Style

Pop Artist Creating Unique Celebration

When a Marlins player hits a home run in the new ballpark, his feat will be celebrated with an explosion of color, lasers, pelicans and at least one jumping marlin.

In keeping with making the Little Havana ballpark a work of art, Miami-Dade County's Art in Public Places Trust approved Tuesday a proposal for a piece of artwork celebrating home runs designed by world-renowned multimedia pop artist Red Grooms.

Although still conceptual, the piece, expected to be 50 feet to 60 feet tall, is signature Grooms - bright pink, blue, aqua, orange, and lots of moving parts. It's like an arcade game rising from a pool of Grooms-designed water and dotted with clouds, pelicans and seagulls. Marlins will jump and laser lights will shine.

"You will know you are seeing a work of art in our stadium in Miami," said Michael Spring, director of Miami-Dade's department of cultural affairs.

The home run feature is budgeted at $2.5 million and included in the $515 million cost of the 37,000-seat retractable roof ballpark under construction at the former site of the Orange Bowl. It will be behind the outfield wall and part of it is to be visible when games aren't being played. But once a Marlin hits a home run, it will come alive.

"I think there has to be some additional surprise elements the audience hasn't seen before," Grooms said by phone. "I'm hoping the marlins will make their appearance after the home run."

Grooms, who was born in Nashville, Tenn., said he visited Daytona as a teenager and the images of the ocean, seagulls and pelicans stuck with him.

Uni-Systems, which is doing the engineering work on the outfield wall and roof, will work with Grooms.

Marlins President David Samson said team owner and art dealer Jeffrey Loria was insistent the home run feature be a piece of art.

"It's very important to Jeffrey that our ballpark be the museum of baseball," Samson said. "The home run feature is the perfect opportunity to differentiate Miami from the other ballparks."

For more on the home run feature and other public art approved for the ballpark, visit Sarah Talalay's blog at sunsentinel.com/sportsbiz.

Sarah Talalay can be reached at stalalay@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4173